Disney's Failed Trash Plant: The Solid Waste Energy Conversion Plant
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2018
- While Walt's original dream of EPCOT died with him, Walt Disney Productions would go on to build his Florida resort and in the process they would still experiment with new ways to build and maintain the property. In the 1980s one of those experiments would be a new power plant co-funded by the US government. It would work, but it would also manage to be a short lived failure
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In 1980 Disney and the US Department of Energy broke ground on the SWEC Plant, otherwise known as the Solid Waste Energy Conversion Plant. It was a fifteen and a half million dollar facility that would use a process known as pyrolysis to convert 100 tons of garbage a day into enough hot water to service The Magic Kingdom, EPCOT Center, and two of the resort’s hotels.
It was initially estimated that the 100 tons of garbage pyrolyzed every day would save Disney over one million gallons of oil per year, and the plant was even planned to serve more than just Disney World. Early on, the surrounding Orange Country agreed to ship almost half of that daily waste allotment to the facility.
Now this entire process was not what one might traditionally imagine when they think of incinerating garbage. It wasn’t shoveling trash into a big fire or anything, but the process did still result in gasses that were burned off. However this was 1980, beyond the fact that there was less emphasis on green forms of energy back then, there was also the more attractive appeal of using less oil. The oil crisis in 1973 and the energy crisis of 1979 both had significant negative impacts not only on Disney World, but across the entire country. The price of oil over that decade rose from under $10 a barrel to nearly $40 a barrel. So this idea of being less reliant on oil, to the tune of one million gallons a year would be big benefit for Disney.
So what happened? Well the construction ran into some delays pushing the opening of the plant back a year, but in September of 1982 the SWEC plant began operations, and it worked. From a technical perspective, the plant did what it was meant to do. However as Disney and the DOE would learn, it would be more expensive than they initially planned. According to a later study, the plant’s flaws were that it would ultimately require more gas than originally intended to run, ended up using twice as much electricity as they planned for, and had troubles maintaining specific temperature zones needed for the process to work smoothly. On top of that, it would just so happen that oil costs would begin to drop. With the two factors put together, the plant ended up costing more to operate than it was worth with an estimated annual cost of $730,000. In short, it was cheaper to just buy the oil and landfill the waste. Any other time and it might have been worth the cost just to push the boundaries of experimental processes, but by the early 1980s Disney was not in the strongest financial situation.
The Department of Energy would end up opting for a cheaper system to deal with the Idaho Falls issue, and so with the plant being of no benefit to either party, it was shut down in February of 1983. Today the concept of pyrolysis as a form of waste management still exists, although it largely focuses on organic waste. Technology has improved over the years that make it both less impactful on the environment and more economical, but considering the core concept still involves creating and burning gases, it’s not as popular as other, more green, methods.
The SWEC Plant was hidden away, short lived, and ultimately unsuccessful. However in it’s few months of operation it stood as one of many examples of how Disney tried to keep Walt’s dream of EPCOT alive, even if it was just behind the scenes.
i'm actually really fond of these logistical type videos. disney properties both physical and intellectual are absolute behemoths, i like learning about how it's all managed.
Jenn Rodriguez Exactly; it’s such a unique property.
You could do an episode on Disney technically fails. Pretty sure they’re having the biggest IT issues that MDE has ever seem. Ticket unlinked for guests both planning and currently in the park - leaving people unable to book FastPasses or dining. The queue wait for IT have been up to two hours just to be told there’s no solution yet.
Love your videos. Keep up the great work!
Interesting. There are actually 2 of these trash plants in my city (Copenhagen, Denmark) and they work great. Though we did have a problem at first. We didn't have enough trash for the plant to continue delivering heat smoothly. So we actually buy tons of trash from the UK just to provide the people of downtown Copenhagen with heat during the fall, winter and early spring.
Awesome. Question: who finances these plants? Are they really profitable? I love that these planta exist, i just want to know.
This is the second video I’ve watched about trash and was fascinated. That might be a sign of a serious Disney addiction when even their trash amuses me. And also just a sign of how great you are at making videos Rob!
Haha and this is the second script where I spent time researching and learning about garbage. I guess I have a plan B in case RUclips doesn't work out!
@@MidwaytoMainStreet You could always get into waste management like Tony Soprano
This is true Walt spirit. Walt would have loved to see his parks built around future technologies, it would be cool to see modern, more emphasised project like this in the future, Disney World is the perfect place to do stuff like this.
Corporate 2022 Disney is _so_ far removed from Walt E. Disney that it will never happen (unless it raises their bottom line somehow). You can't fault for them for that though, as a publicly-traded company they have an obligation to maximize profits and negate unnecessary risk.
The kind of video you can like before watching because this channels content is just that good
Most of those similar plants that are in use today are basically just set up to burn the non recyclable stuff that people throw in with the recycling. Those Kcups and Nepresso cartridges are a big thing they burn.
The Nespresso cartridges are aluminum, and Nespresso does recycle their cartridges.
@@NickCBax really? Interesting, i'll do the research.
Rob, I love the channel. Not very often that a "Disney RUclipsr" isn't in someway annoying. I am a former West coast castmember and find your stuff concise, informative, enjoyable. Well done!
Hi Rob! Hope your Wednesday is going well. Your content deserves a bigger reach but I'm glad it made its way to my feed. Cheers
When I was in high school in the late 70's, I wrote to WDW many times, asking various questions. I seem to recall being told that their garbage was burned in an incinerator, and the ashes dumped onto a farm of eucalyptus trees (fertilizer). I wonder why landfills were used instead - strictly based on cost?
I wonder what procedure is in place now, in 2021.
I like the way Disney still tries to save the environment and MONEY!!!
Admiral Preparedness we can only hope if someone who cares for the environment could make a movie out of it.
Justin Gamino I think Wall-e has a pretty strong message about environmental preservation but there’s always room for more awareness
They have destroyed (or led to the destruction) of hundreds of thousands of acres of marsh and wetlands for parking lots and highways and hotels and tract homes. Disney can hardly be called an environmental steward.
That’s wild...I’m surprised Disney’s waste to energy Plant didn’t work. We’ve had one across the state in St. Petersburg for literally decades.
You can get energy from buried trash too. There's a retail complex near Detroit (Fairlane Green) that was built atop a landfill in 2006. I know there was CityView Center near Cleveland too (that went horribly wrong) but this one was done correctly. They have to collect the methane from beneath the buildings and route it to the roofs where it's simply vented to atmosphere. It's a potent greenhouse gas. Sometimes they flare it off. I don't understand why they don't try to harvest that even if it's just to run a boiler for domestic hot water. Stick a heat exchanger on the end of the flare. At least it would be something.
I personally feel guilty for letting hot bath water drain out before the heat has absorbed into the house, it takes a ton of energy to heat water.
Really interesting video Rob, I knew nothing about this before today!
Just subscribed! I'm a huge Disney fan! Disneyland is my favorite park considering I live less than 45 minutes away from the Park! I hope to visit Walt Disney World someday also.
I'm very impressed with your videos & the way you present the history of all facets of Disney! Thank you so much for your awesome video content
Hey Rob! I just wanted to say that I love your content, and I'm exited to be here for 100k subs!
Hi Rob! I just came across your channel and subscribed so fast! I can't wait to binge watch your videos. I love how you offer something different, going into the actual history of Disney...very interesting! I hope to turn my channel into a more Disney-centric one as well. Please keep it up ❤
Always good info. Thanks
You give such good information on your channel. I love history! I learned most of my Disney World history from your channel. Please keep it up!! Not sure if you did already, but did you make a video about Oswald??
Rob my girlfriend and I watched almost all your videos before our trip on 9-12-18 - 9-17-18 and we appreciate the tips and tricks you have given to others! Thanks man! :)
I love this kind of videos. You make me love Disney even more.
Wow! Very interesting as always!! Keep up the good work Rob. This is one if not my favorite disney related channel! Love the history of Disney and you are very original in your content!
Thanks!
I remember a short thing in a Magazine on the Plant. It just said that Disney was building it. I never knew what happen or why it shut down. Thanks for the information.
Loved this video man
Woo-HOO! My name was in the credits! Great video, Rob! :)
Love your content Rob!
Thanks!
I think I remember this plant if it's the one that used to be next to the RC energy services plant, opposite MK. I went to what used to be the Kinder Care right in front of it growing up, what is now a vendor services building (I think) across from West clock and DU. Crazy how you wouldn't even know it existed now, the large hill the dump trucks used to take up to it is completely gone and everything is totally level now. We used to have cardboard box sled races down that hill for fun. Awesome video and thanks for some answers, I remember always wondering what went on there because the dump trucks were so random and it never smelled like garbage in the area. Amazing how different that space and the area surrounding it are today, used to not even be allowed back there without an ID, lol.
I never knew this. Thanks
Man keep it up I love your content we are going in October and cannot wait for our trip, happy October :-)
Have an awesome trip!
Can you advise where you were able to locate the pictures from the opening day of the original plant? I collect old RCID truck fleet photos and would love to locate some more original photos from that ceremony!! Thx
The end card is so weirdly relaxing to listen to. Is there a long version of that recording?
Big fan of your show
very good video ~ if the building still there wonder if the Disney look at turning it into a park ride?
Rob Plays Is the plant still there or did it become demolished?
When you waste upon a Disney...
...You give Disney extra money...
I don't know why I read that title as Trash Planet
Long island has one of these plants I think, I see it everyday
Cool
Such a shame that Disney were just too far ahead of their time...and many are still struggling to make the technology work now and nobody has it working commercially at scales under 40,000 tonnes per annum - until we found it. We're bringing a 2MWe plant to the UK utilising fixed bed downdraft gasification, at the same 100 tonne per day scale, producing clean heat and power for local homes and businesses.
Pyrolysis has gone so far these days. I juat hope they retake this idea. Come on, Bob, just before you go set this to happen, the whole low impact community would love you.
What is this background music where is it from?
Would Trioxane bars have helped, or not?
Is the plant still on property or did it get demolished?
I couldn't find an exact date as to when it happened, but the building is no longer there.
Hey Rob, I have a quick question. Do you think that Star Tours should remain in Tomorrowland when Galaxy Edge opens next year at Disneyland or should they put in a new ride?
I'm all for a new ride. I think the ride mechanic is still great though, so I would be in favor of them just re-theming Star Tours into something totally new. Ideally I'd love to see an original concept, but this is the Iger era so it'd likely be IP based
Too bad oil prices dropped at that time. Since it did reduce waste and produce power
Rip
I always assumed they had a waste to energy plant on property somewhere. Maybe it was this plant. It would have been in my college days. Florida should have built a nuke plant way back when.
You should colab with tpm vids
Thanks. So is the plant still there, or sis they tear it down?
No longer there, although I couldn't find the date of when it eventually got torn down.
So where on property was it?
Nothing to do with this video but PLLLEEEAAAASSSEEEE do the phantom blot for one of the Halloween videos!!
Where was this located on property?
This was just north of the Magic Kingdom around the area where their other facility site is located. It actually used to be visible in the distance from (I believe) the monorail when it was still around.
Wasn't that an incinerator, but in different form? And also why not convert those waste into electricity, then boiling water? There are more and more modern incinerators generates electricity by burning waste.
Each conversion is a loss in efficiency. Burning waste to make heat to boil water to make steam to spin a turbine to make electricity to heat an element to boil water?
@@DesignedbyWill2084 well... the electricity could be use to power many other things, not just only for heating water😅😅. TBH, I have no idea how an incinerator works as we don't have one in Hong Kong. But I know there are many incinerator convert waste to electricity.
Is it still there or did they tear it down?
I didn't mention it because I couldn't pin down any dates, but it's no longer there.
Any idea what happened to the land? Is it just an empty lot or did it get filled with something? Where even is it within the resort?
Maybe they tore it down to make room for the nuclear power plant walt always wanted. :)
I'm assuming it was behind the MK to the east. Lots of stuff is/was there.
I've been to one of these got the operate the crane that picks up 1 tonne of rubbish, it was great lads
Can't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs. LOL Fantasia would NOT be a success until 20 or so years later and the psychedelic 60's.
Interesting. I know that parts of Europe are burning a lot of waste, but I don’t think they’re using pyrolysis much if at all.
Personal quirk of mine: shouldn’t “short-lived” be pronounced with an I-sound like that in “life”?
🤔 !
Loved this video man